Centrepay is an online tool designed to help people on Centrelink pay for essentials like rent or bills through automatic deductions. But financial counsellors say the government service is instead being misused by some providers to exploit vulnerable Australians.
Honestly though, isn’t this kind of on the customer for agreeing to it in the first place?
Some things just shouldn’t be allowed, especially when this is aimed at the most vulnerable of society.
Ok, what is it specifically that shouldn’t be allowed here? Renting items? Setting prices higher than somebody else?
In this case it’s through the Centrelink specific Centrepay system. Given it’s a government approved system they can presumably remove approval of this company for any reason, so it doesn’t have to reach a level of law breaking, just an obvious to everyone ethical breach.
In any case, as stated in the article, Rents4Keep are currently being sued by ASIC for breaches of the Credit Act.
are you anti consumer protection?
Every individual is supposed to do their own research and be savvy regarding scams and ripoffs or else they deserve to be robbed with no recourse and no penalty for the robbers.
Blaming the victim here seems especially low.
Shrug. The way I see it, they made major league purchases without the slightest market research. Why does that make them a victim, rather than just somebody with the financial wisdom of a 5 year old?
In other words you have an “I got mine” attitude about demographically vulnerable people getting exploited.
You’re not exactly answering the question here.
If you can’t see demographically vulnerable people being exploited as a bad thing, I can’t make you see it. And quite frankly I feel bad for any family members you might have, especially senior citizens, if they get taken advantage of by grifters/scammers. You’d be too busy congratulating yourself for being superior to them.
I appreciate how you keep going for the ad hominem attacks instead of trying to engage in an actual discussion. Was fun, let’s do this again sometime.
I accurately described your contempt for exploited vulnerable people and your inflated sense of superiority about their predicament.
There is no discussion you’re leaving yourself open for but more congratulations of yourself for feeling superior to vulnerable exploited people.
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Exactly. Houso’s gonna houso. If she’s going to put her whole life on new item afterpay, you deserve the stupid. This is someone who grew up in these communities and most get next gen tech and second hand/scratch and dent appliances. Just because you didn’t finish school doesn’t mean you can’t be shrewd
are you pro-elderly people being scammed by ‘tech support’?
This 100% qualifies as an unscrupulous trade practice. The pricing is exploitative targeting vulnerable people, making them sign opaque contracts money directly from disability pension and making consumers think there is some level of state approval with the centrepay thing.
It is the job of the state to protect people from these things especially considering they are operating formally.
You are the one who is uneducated for spewing dogshit like this. You are the one who needs to be sent to a re-education camp. Australians are so braindead from neoliberal ideology.
The elderly these days were early to middle aged when the internet became a thing. In the 80s and 90s there was Skase, 419, fucking beanie babies as an example. Ignorance is not an excuse.
fuck that. People should not be preyed on for not keeping up with internet trends
Rent to keep has been going for 25 years. No excuse.
you’re a horrible person
I am apparently the next Mussolini though, if you go by the rest of these comments. It’s like nobody gives a fuck about education any more.